Now, I personally am pretty optimistic about 2013 in specific. And generally speaking, I find that living your life in constant expectation of disaster is a depressing way to go about things. I’m also the kind of person who believes that helping others is more important than mere self-preservation — a feeling I hope other people share, even if only briefly for the winter holiday season.

That said, there are a lot of people who think it’s naïve to simply rely on the goodwill of their fellow man. If push comes to shove in the New Year, these folks want to make sure they are prepared; better safe than sorry if things sour.

I’d rather spend my holidays building a gingerbread house with my two daughters than building a bunker. But if you’re looking for a 2013 hoarder’s check list, here’s a good place to start. Some items are good common sense as disaster preparedness, while others admittedly are a bit alarmist.

I’ll leave it to you to decide which ones are practical, necessary or absurd.